


Accept Compromise

by slightlyjillian



Series: Weird Science [2]
Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Genderswitch, Humor, Multi, Second Chances, complicated friendship, weird science
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-01
Updated: 2010-03-01
Packaged: 2017-10-07 15:47:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/66623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slightlyjillian/pseuds/slightlyjillian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just another day at Tallgeese Science Labs. An attempt to prove a point goes awry.</p><p>Part two of the Weird Science series of <i>things I'd never write except I am</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Accept Compromise

Nichol had appeared in the parking garage on time, but he was following Sally Po and held her back in what appeared to be a rather boisterous argument. At least on Nichol's part. If his arms were wings, Duo suspected that Nikolas Tracy would have flapped his way up to the ceiling.

Duo honked the truck horn twice more then rolled the window down to hang out the driver's side window. "Hey _Tracy_ get your ass over here or find your own way home."

Frankly, he expected Nichol to make some joke about how his bum already belong to Duo or some-such nonsense, but the older man simply lifted one finger and said, "Hold up."

"Hold up?" Duo leaned in the window frame and huffed, muttering to himself. "You're lucky I'm not some chick to hold you in emotional bondage over this."

The two of them had been friends for years after Nichol took a job working at Duo's scrap metal business. Eventually, it had become clear that Nichol batted for the other team. And, while that alone wouldn't have bothered Duo, Nichol had admitted that he really liked _Duo_. It had been troublesome trying to put new boundaries on a friendship that had always been fine until that point.

Then Nichol had taken the job at the Tallgeese Science Labs and let their friendship drift.

Until the accident in the lab triggered Nichol's emergency contact, DNR, HIPAA representative who had still been penciled in as Duo Maxwell.

"Sorry, I'm late." Nichol climbed into the truck. Then he stilled and waited to see what Duo was going to say in response. The quiet still had an edge of anxiety about it, as if Nichol constantly expected the other shoe to drop.

Duo tried smiling, no point at making things worse. "So what was that all about?"

Nichol glanced around as if checking to see if anyone was close to the vehicle. Then he reached into his pocket and held a small, clear-plastic tube in his palm. Duo could see a pair of small pills inside.

"Nicky," Duo scoffed. "Were you arguing with Sally about _those_?" He pulled the truck out and drove toward the sunlight. "What is it? Some new sort of caffeine pill? Or maybe it, I dunno, makes you _irresistible_?"

"Eh," Nichol muttered. Duo heard him put the tube back into his pocket.

"What? _No._" Duo took the corner faster than necessary. The truck engine made pleased noises as he coaxed the accelerator. "Nichol, what the hell do you have?"

"Can we wait to have this conversation at home?" Nichol yelled sharply as the truck immediately stopped. Duo flicked off the other car. Then Nichol added, "You know that was _our_ fault right?"

***

Sally glanced around the pub. She'd been skeptical at first when she'd seen the only other business in the strip was a Toys'R'Us, but the place had personality. Old movie posters were framed on the wall and Sally thought she recognized the music.

"So who are we meeting tonight?" she asked.

"Hilde and Trowa were students of mine when I taught at Victoria Academy," Christine Une said, holding out her hands to help take Sally's coat. "They both applied for the opening, and I figured making them interview together might be interesting."

"You and _interesting_," Sally shook her head.

"Don't make it sound like a bad thing." Une spotted her former students and taking Sally's hand led them through a weaving path to a booth against the far wall.

"Did you leave the forms in the car?" Sally noticed Une wasn't carrying anything.

Une glanced at her in profile. The lights sparkled from her glasses with mischief. "We won't need them."

Sally watched as the young man and woman stood up and Une made introductions. Trowa was thin enough that Sally might knock him over on a breath alone. His face was half hidden by a cascade of brown hair in a style that was fashionable... except when leaning over dangerous substances. Hilde on the other hand looked as if she were caught up in a private joke and only just kept from busting into laughter. She wore a pink beret and it complimented her complexion nicely.

Une raised an eyebrow at Sally and she leaned in to whisper, "Don't judge on appearances, Sal."

Sally chuckled nervously. "You haven't been dipping into the telepathy beaker, have you?"

Une didn't answer and instead moved into the booth to examine the menu.

***

Nichol slumped into the kitchen chair and blinked wearily at the one other empty seat. Duo had gone upstairs and Nichol could hear the footsteps through the ceiling. Glancing around the kitchen, Nichol again marveled at how unlike the rest of the house this room had become. Duo meticulously wiped the counters, polished the forks and arranged the cupboards.

Duo liked to take care of the things he cared about. So Nichol had been somewhat surprised to find the spare room, now his room, had been kept in a tidy fashion. Before their friendship dissolved the first time, Nichol had planned to move in. But now that he had they seemed to have fallen back into a comfortable _nothing_. The bottom line had never changed. Nichol wasn't a woman.

He pulled the pills out again and looked at them. Something in his gut twisted in memory. Nichol _had been_ a woman once. Well, he'd been in a woman's body. But that body had belonged to Sally Po and she wanted it back--as much as Nichol wanted to be himself again. No small measure of luck and scientific genius (based on Nichol's idea, he wouldn't let them forget) solved that body-swapping snafu.

Eventually, the question in Nichol's head had shifted based on that experience. How much did he love Duo? And did that mean he had to _be_ with him?

Nichol glanced up at the ceiling. He hadn't heard anything for a good while.

"What are they?" Duo's voice was closer than expected. He'd been leaning in the doorway, watching.

"I was going to talk to you about it first," Nichol admitted, and that was mostly the truth. He held the clear plastic up to the natural light coming in from the window over the sink. "These little sisters would turn a man into a woman."

"Ah, okay," Duo chewed that thought. "Repeat."

"Changes Nikolas into Nicole." Nichol continued looking at the pills. Then at the floor.

"What the hell, man?" Duo caught up to the conversation. "We only just got you _fixed_."

"Back to normal, but that doesn't work for us, does it?" Nichol furrowed his brow. Then he did look at Duo, who had dropped his arms but still was using the wall to hold his body upright.

"I refuse to let you do that. Don't you care about yourself at all?" Duo did stand upright then and stomped over to the other chair. It was already twisted backwards the way he liked it. He sat down so quickly his braid flopped up into the air. "Okay, answer me this. Have you ever not wanted to be a man?"

Nichol flushed, "No."

"Then stop being stupid." Duo made a _give me_ motion with his hand.

"Then let me ask _you_ a question," Nichol braced himself, but felt bold. "Are you ever going to be interested in a man?"

Duo flinched, letting his hand drop stretched across the table between them.

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

"Idiot," Duo growled. Then before Nichol could react, the pills were no longer in his hand and Duo was swallowing them dry. A moment later, Nichol's eyes ached from shocked staring.

***

Sally considered ordering dessert simply to prolong the meeting. She liked the kids. Trowa had a wry, monotonous humor that had slipped past Sally the first few times because she honestly couldn't believe she'd actually heard what he said. Until Hilde's nearly hysterical giggles betrayed a familiar entertainment from Trowa's humor.

"You are so cute," Hilde bumped his shoulder.

"I think you've missed the point of this meeting." Trowa's eyes were remarkably green and glanced between Sally and Une. "They're only going to hire one of us. I'm your enemy."

"We don't have to hire either of you." Une hooked her arm on the back of the booth's bench and let her fingers stroke along Sally's braid. "Are you two still living together?"

"She won't wear the ring," Trowa replied.

"He needs to get it resized." Hilde put her hands like fists on either side of her dinner plate.

"I didn't realize," Une seemed impressed.

"You should have looked at the papers," Sally murmured. Hilde seemed caught up in a fit of giggles again and Trowa gave her an indulgent, affectionate glance.

After settling the bill, Une told the couple, "We'll be in touch."

Watching Trowa and Hilde leave, Sally whispered, "We're hiring both of them, aren't we?"

"Conflict of interest. We can't let one of them escape," Une chuckled. "Want to stay a while longer? You want dessert, don't you?"

Sally stared.

***

Duo stood up from the chair. He could still feel the path the pills had taken down his esophagus. However, patting at the front of his shirt, Duo couldn't help but grin. "Does your lab do anything right the first time?"

"No," Nichol stood up and grabbed Duo's shoulders. "Those were successful after sixty-seven tries. You need to lay down, _now_. Here."

Duo noticed his ankles started to ache. "Couch?" he asked, but his vision was already starting to blur. He tried to look at Nichol and blinking helped him focus briefly before everything went dark. "Can't see."

He could still feel Nichol's arms easing Duo to the ground.

"Glad I cleaned the floor," Duo joked feebly. His forehead pressed against the tile. One of his feet hit the leg of the table.

Then a hand lifted his head. "Drink this," Nichol murmured. He didn't sound worried, but anxiety was always part of Nichol's tone. That was still there.

Duo greedily swallowed, suddenly thirsty. He would have tried to hold the glass himself, but his entire body was numb to his control.

"You'll feel pretty disoriented," Nichol's voice advised. "The fastest recovery was thirty minutes." He hesitated. Duo wasn't certain his eyes were open or not, the darkness persisted.

"Can't see," Duo said again.

"It'll come back," Nichol said, faintly. "Hearing is last. But don't worry, I'll be right here."

Then Duo couldn't sense anything at all.

***

"He stole them out of my hand. I didn't _give_ the femynyn to him," Nichol's voice shouted through the phone.

Sally took a long suffering breath, "And you _stole them_ from the lab. Nichol, we talked about this."

"And I'm sorry, but I need help. I can't just leave him like..."

"We haven't even moved the tests from the realm of speculation." Sally glanced back into the bedroom where Une at least looked to be sleeping. "You know that virtual tests are still virtual."

"Sally," Nichol floundered.

"I'll be at the lab in twenty-minutes. At this hour the traffic should be light," she hesitated. "Or do you need help?"

"I need... Sal," Nichol floundered. "Do you know how to get to the house?"

***

"How long?" Sally asked, kneeling by Duo's body on the couch. Nichol had reluctantly snatched up Duo to carry him off the kitchen floor to some place more comfortable when the man started to groan. Only, he'd been somewhere between genders then and weighed much less than Nichol had been expecting.

"How long?" Sally repeated, looked back at Nichol. "I know you're not prepared for this, but what do you think he would have done if you'd gone through with it? Now get smart, fast."

"It'd been forty minutes when I called the first time." Nichol looked around for the clock, then remembered he was wearing the watch Duo had given to him. "A couple hours?"

"Hey, sleeping beauty," Sally sounded soothing and she must have noticed some change in Duo's resting state. "You're going to be okay." She stood then said to Nichol, "I'll get him more water. You don't get to leave. Go apologize."

"Did it work?"

Nichol looked at the couch and, shoving the mess of newspapers and unpaid bills aside, sat on the edge of the coffee table. He leaned toward Duo's face which was all he could see from under the blanket.

"I didn't want to invade your privacy," Nichol muttered.

"Don't seem different," Duo kept his eyes closed. The most immediate difference was the shape of his brows. "Am I hot?"

The changes made Nichol curious, but the overruling emotion brought about by Duo's comment was a spike of worried anger. "I didn't want you to change."

"Well then," Duo shifted. A slender arm lifted to rest across his forehead. The once broad shoulders were greatly diminished. "Now you know how it is to be me. Point made."

"Hang on," Nichol hesitated. "You did all this to make a _point_?"

Duo scratched his nose. Gradually, he opened one eye. "Guilty as charged, but if you cared about me, it wouldn't matter if I was a chick, right?"

"I'm not..."

"Into girls?" Duo smiled. His lips stretched into a familiar expression, but more petite. "See how it is..."

"Duo," Nichol winced. "God knows I love you because you're reckless, but this time?" He didn't know how to say what came next. He saw Sally in the doorway and this time she seemed more sympathetic. And just as worried.

"Well then." Duo sat up and briefly checked his petite torso, cupping his breasts. "I'm glad we got that understood. You are you, and there's no changing that for me." He smiled. "So when do I get to change back?"

Nichol put his face into his hands. He wanted to ignore where the wet on his fingers came from.

Duo whispered, "You made something without figuring out the reversal? Again?"

Nichol tried to say the words. Duo should have heard it from him, but Sally shouldered the responsibility. She must have understood the conflict.

"Duo." Sally handed him the glass of water. "We don't have a reversal because none of our simulations survive the femynyn transformation in order _to be_ changed back."

Nichol watched as Duo drank faster, then wiped his mouth with a dainty hand but in a masculine fashion.

"Well, damn," Duo's voice changed pitch.

***

"Patient XY." Une pointed at the screen at the projected image. "Originally male, chemically reconstructed to inhabit a body with all of the female characteristics, primary and secondary. In the process however, the mental coding has retained his masculine identity."

"Fascinating." Hilde sat forward eyes transfixed to the screen. Trowa made casual notes with his pencil.

Hilde scanned the results, confirming. "Gender identity remained male."

Une glanced around the room and saw the shadow of Sally sitting in the farthest seat, arms crossed, head down. Une added, "Hilde. Trowa, this isn't a case for analysis. Our goal is to restore Patient XY back to his original state. Or, failing that, finding a situation where Patient XY can survive the transformation. Understood?"

"What's the psychological condition of Patient XY?" Trowa asked, still making marks on his paperwork.

"Historically excitable. But in this case, remarkably well-adjusted." Une turned off the projector and motioned to Sally to restore the room lights. "Patient XY has declined hospice services and chooses to leave things in your capable hands."

"On it," Hilde said, pushing her chair out and then left with Trowa toward the direction of their new lab.

***

"I had wondered," Duo observed, squinting his eyes. From what he could tell, his lashes were dark and somehow the world seemed to shine more than before. "But I'm not more attracted to you because of this body."

"I'm not more attracted to you because of _that_ body," Nichol scowled, but the familiar expression relieved Duo more than the slightly shell-shocked Nichol who'd been pussyfooting around Duo for the past few hours. Duo had slept hard on the couch waking up to find Nichol watching over him. Which was fitting since Nichol shared some of the blame, not that Duo would call it blame out loud.

"Any tips for me, since you've kind of been in this territory?" Duo asked.

"You're going to die," Nichol clashed his teeth. "That's not right. That's..."

"Hey, hey." Duo puckered his lips trying to think of what to say next. "I don't feel like I'm dying. So don't give up on me yet. Sally and Une will figure something out and then I'll be back to normal. Unless they decide they like me this way... Nichol, I meant a threesome."

No laugh. Nichol needed sleep as his humor was absolutely used up.

"Nicky," Duo tried again, huffing. Then hesitated when his body moved differently than he'd expected. "Okay, so this is now. I'm still here. Let's not jump into tomorrow yet. We've got enough things to worry about without borrowing trouble."

"How could we be in more trouble?" Nichol didn't laugh. But he almost did.

"Remember when we absolutely sharked those guys at the pool table?" Duo stretched, rather suddenly fascinated by his feet that poked out from under the blanket. "I bet that would have worked a whole lot faster if I'd been a chick."

"You're a woman and you're thinking about how to use that to your advantage when gambling?" Nichol sounded incredulous. Duo was seriously tempted to kiss him and absolutely tip the scale on the mood, but he hesitated too long and missed the opportunity to manage it. In jest.

Nichol went cross-eyed for a moment, then blinked a few times as if he hadn't just imagined something similar.

Duo flipped so that he was sitting upright, knees pushed against Nichol's. "Now do I remember you talking about some of Sally's rules? Or did I just dream _day of the week underwear_?"

***

Dorothy Catalonia didn't buy their story for one moment. She'd met Nichol at a shop while searching for a new pair of running shoes. He'd been hopelessly incapable of making a purchase, so she'd evaluated the options and had pushed the most expensive pair into his chest while saying, "Buy these."

"Her name is Duo and she doesn't know how to shop?" Dorothy pointed at Nichol's smaller companion.

"Come on, Dorothy." Nichol glanced between the two women. They'd agreed to meet at the mall and had yet to go inside after meeting in the lot. "You've always shown me what to get."

She raised an eyebrow, "Because you desperately needed help."

"That explains why you're not dressing like a homeless man anymore," Duo said, grinning at Nichol. She had somewhat of a wicked expression when she looked back at Dorothy. "So _you're_ his secret woman?"

Dorothy hated her immediately. "I'd love to take you shopping."

"At last," Nichol said, relieved and missing the significance of the exchange.

***

"Any luck?" Nichol called Sally repeatedly and the conversation always started out the same way.

"We've got some of our best problem solvers on the job," Sally replied balancing the phone between her cheek and shoulder in order to compose a reply to Une's e-mail. "How is he?"

"Having far too much fun trying on clothes," Nichol paused. "Although, I'm not too sure if what this store sells actually qualifies as _clothing_." Sally could hear the jungle mix music as Nichol took his phone into the store.

"How are you?" she hesitated to ask. Nichol always reacted strongly when situations involved people he cared about. Once he'd injured his hand when the wall was stronger than his fist. That situation had been nothing more than an article in a science magazine criticizing Sally's professionalism. Although, the writer had taken several liberties in his fact. Sally had been miffed herself.

"Have you tried running the simulation again with Duo's biological profile?" he avoided her question.

"We're doing everything, Nichol," Sally reassured. "But you can call me if you think of anything. You were right last time."

When he didn't bother to rub that in Sally's face, she knew she had the answer to her question. He was not okay.

***

"Oh that's magnificent," Dorothy purred when Duo tried walking in the dominatrix outfit. Duo twisted to see her bottom in the mirror.

"Yeah, it does look pretty hot," Duo said, strangely tugging at the material to make it even more revealing.

Dorothy stepped closer and hissed, "Okay, listen. You know that he's gay right? And while he's an absolute moron for mooning after the same idiot guy for years that does not mean I'm going to let you string him along as well."

Duo pulled her head back and opened her eyes wider, but not from fright. "Why hasn't he mentioned _you_?" The delivery was almost flirtatious.

"And why aren't you wearing make-up?" Dorothy had several inches advantage and wasn't afraid to use them.

"Yeah," Duo chuckled. "Why am I not? Care to fix that?" She wiggled her eyebrows.

"You're strange, absolutely bizarre little woman." Dorothy crossed her arms.

"You actually _care for_ him, don't you?" Duo smirked, then made a pleased face when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. "Curvy."

"I see through you," Dorothy said coolly.

Duo considered that for a moment, then sputtered into a fully belly laugh.

***

"Hey, Nichol?" Duo said, escaping from the changing room and glancing around the dark painted store for his friend. A quick glance through the customers told Duo that Nichol was no longer in the shop.

He noticed the floor materials were cold against the soles of his feet. He shivered, rubbing at his much shorter arms.

"I guess he won't get to see you in that get-up." Dorothy appeared at Duo's side. The blonde woman was amusingly protective of their mutual friend. Duo gave her credit for that, but he couldn't help but wonder why Nichol hadn't taken that relationship further. He'd dated women in the past, Duo hadn't realized how celibate Nichol had become over the years if he had passed up on Dorothy.

"Oh, he'd think it was funny," Duo said through chattering teeth. He wanted to put the other clothes on. Even if they'd been ridiculous on his smaller frame, at least they'd kept him warm.

Dorothy scowled. "How long have you known him? He's a _romantic_."

Duo laughed, but quit when the thought settled. "Can I borrow your phone?" he asked. "Thanks, but I think I'm ready to go home."

Nichol didn't answer. And Dorothy begrudgingly offered to give him a ride.

***

"Let's hope that journalist doesn't get wind of this," Une said signing her name on the disclosure of relationship paperwork. She twisted the paper toward Sally and offered the pen. "He's already caused enough trouble for you without this sort of thing getting caught into the mix."

"It would have to be a slow news day," Sally hadn't lost the blush from her face after realizing that her private e-mail to Une had accidentally been sent Reply All. "I'm sorry."

"And for the umpteenth time, I don't mind," Une chuckled. "I just wish it hadn't had my attachment still copied with the rest."

"Well, the specimen did resemble..."

Une put her finger over Sally's lips. "Hush." Suddenly Une's normally collected expression was as red as Sally's.

***

"He's not here," Duo scratched his head. His hair felt different, but hadn't changed much. With some measure of familiarity, his hair had been easy to wash, familiar. But Nichol had threatened to put him on a timer when a thorough exploration of his feminine body had used up all the hot water.

Dorothy glanced into the kitchen to the left and then right into the room where Duo had slept on the couch. She hadn't walked in any farther while Duo had climbed the stairs and investigated every room.

"This is where he lives?" Dorothy asked.

"Yeah, we... he lives here." Duo didn't know how much Dorothy knew, but he knew exactly what she hadn't been told.

"Is he your brother?" Dorothy pointed at a framed picture on the wall.

Duo's throat tightened and he bought time by peering up at the photograph of himself and Nichol at the grand opening of the second scrap factory. The picture had never seemed so high before.

"Quite a resemblance, yeah?" Duo said at last.

"It's always been him," Dorothy sighed. "Perhaps they're together someplace."

"Not possible." Duo wished it could be that easy. Then he added hurriedly, "He's not here right now. Out of town, or something like that."

"Is that why Nichol's looking out for you?" Dorothy smiled slightly. It was a start.

Then Duo had an idea of how to help it make sense. "I don't have long to live. He's not taking it very well."

Dorothy didn't react. Instead she said, "You're living it up a little before the end. Well, maybe you should explain to him that he gets to be part of that, too. Don't be selfish."

"Got any suggestions?"

***

Nichol needed the cab and a full fifteen minutes to find his way to the front porch. He tried with the key several times before the woman opened the door for him. "Duo," he squinted into the light of the house. The reaction to seeing Duo still changed was dulled by the alcohol. Nichol hiccuped.

"We need to take the pictures off the wall," Duo said.

"Why?" Nichol took a few steps and then leaned against the wall, forehead against the frame. That had been a good day, he remembered.

"Dorothy brought me back here after you disappeared. You got drunk," Duo added. Then lightly, "Which I completely understand. But why couldn't we get trashed together, buddy?"

"You said to leave you alone." Nichol wanted to sleep as long as Rip Van Winkle. That might be long enough to miss the consequences of all his mistakes.

Duo was touching Nichol's forehead. "You're like a heater," he said thoughtfully. "And I can't seem to get warm in this body. Want to sleep together?"

Nichol wobbled on his feet. "I thought you said..."

"Well, it's not like you're going to try anything."

***

A week later, Duo sat on the edge of the examination table. He knew that he looked pretty damn sexy in the clothes he'd picked up while shopping with Dorothy, but no one looked good in the paper-thin hospital gown.

"Careful Sally," Duo chuckled, shivering. "Don't get too fresh or I'll tell on you."

Sally's lips tried not to smile. "That secret's already out of the bag. Think of some other way to blackmail me." She read the monitor next to her. "Any symptoms to report?"

"Cold," Duo replied quickly. "I'm always freezing."

Sally made a note. Then she said, "I'm really optimistic, Duo. So if we can find a way to get your internal temperature to level out, then I want you to stay optimistic too."

Duo chuckled, "Can I confess something to you? Woman to woman?"

"I might blackmail you with it later." She set down her paperwork.

"You won't when Nichol's involved..."

***

"Why is he here?" Trowa Barton asked, walking into the lab he shared with Hilde.

Nichol turned part way then ignoring the other man, continued to point at the computer screen. "You said you'd make this sequence match, but it doesn't!"

"I said I would try," Hilde snapped back. She sat on the cushioned stool and pushed herself into Nichol so that she could access the keyboard more easily. "But that's not an important fastener, so stop with the electrical plug comparisons. No wonder you're just a tech."

Nichol stood upright and scowled at them both equally.

"Not to mention this is your fault," Trowa said between chewing. He'd found the tray of lunch meat and cheese Nichol had brought into the lab. "I don't understand why you haven't been fired and fined six ways to..."

"Trowa," Hilde stopped him from saying more. "Patient XY isn't pressing charges and signed all the paperwork saying he's a willing participant."

"Love makes people do stupid things." Trowa washed his hands and pointed to the door, while dripping on the floor. "Out, Nichol."

***

"Need a ride home?" Duo asked, once again wearing the slim jeans and band t-shirt he'd arrived in. He spun the key-chain around his finger.

"How long did it take for you to re-figure that move?" Nichol said, feigning enthusiasm.

"I'm a quick learner." Duo snatched them in his hand with a satisfying clank then paused to look at his finger nails.

"Not always. I can drive." Nichol offered, remembering how Duo's shorter legs had managed the pedals with absolutely no grace.

"It's my truck," Duo said, definitively.

"I'm the man."

"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why Nichol fails at seducing women."

***

"What's this?" Une asked, leaning over Sally to see the forms on her desk.

"Just working out the details of needing a new tech for a while when Nichol's gone," Sally replied, shaking her head. "Duo is one strange guy. Even in a woman's body, he can't seem to do anything by half."

"How's that?"

"He bought them tickets for some inclusive resort. Hey, Christine?"

"Yes?"

"If we had one last fling before... If... Well, where would you want to go?" She tried to hide the serious edge to her question, but Une's fingers pressed into her shoulders with a sympathetic connection.

"Let me see," Une considered. "Townsville."

"Seriously?"

"I'd want to meet the Powerpuff Girls."

***

"I never want to see another bikini again," Duo Maxwell grumbled.

Sally chuckled, making a face. "I'd expect to hear that from him." They both looked across the open parking lot to where Nichol was still in an animated conversation with the attendant. The airport had lost their luggage. And now the truck was missing as well.

"Yeah," Duo relaxed somewhat. "I definitely didn't have to worry about him chasing some big boobed bimbo."

"He liked your A-cup okay?" Sally chuckled over Duo's glare.

"We only came because you said the lab could change me back," Duo reminded. "That's what we both want."

Sally enjoyed the breeze as it blew against her face. Nichol was slumped over and walked back as if defeated. Although, he did smile briefly at Duo's wave.

"Maybe this trip helped if you figured out the friends thing?" Sally murmured. "Did it go according to plan?"

"Oh, well about _that_." Duo rubbed at his neck. "I might have been mistaken about our incompatibility."

Sally shot Nichol a surprised look.

"Couldn't wait for me, huh? I thought we were going to tell her together?" Nichol grumbled with a self-satisfied expression.

***

"So are you ready to go back to normal?" Sally asked, while Duo again sat on the edge of the examination table. In resistance of the robe he was forced to wear, Duo hadn't bothered to shave his legs which Sally noted with a small smile. "How did you like your cycle?"

"What?" Duo asked, laying back and wondering how something as simple as taking a pill could have complicated his life so much. Well, he had an idea what the pill would do. He just didn't realize the cure was going to be so dang complicated.

"How did you like _that time of the month_?" Sally whispered.

"I have no idea..." Duo was bewildered.

Une reached between them to adjust a nob and said dryly, "Your menstrual cycle, _Mister_ Maxwell. You've been a woman for three months now."

"No idea," Duo would have shrugged but the gown was dangerously close to flashing the entire team and while Duo wasn't normally modest something about him still didn't think that would be how he'd like Trowa and Hilde to remember him. _Him_. Soon to be back to 100% male Maxwell.

Then he heard Nichol's voice. "I don't care if my pass was revoked, that's my _boyfriend_ in there."

"Late," Duo sighed, but it was entertaining to watch Nichol actually indulge in public the feelings he'd had for some time.

"Late," Sally repeated grabbing Une's arm. "_Late_?"

Une let out a long sigh. "Mr. Maxwell, when was the last time you took a pregnancy test?"

Sally looked over when she heard a loud crash. "And someone bring some orange juice for the father on the floor."

The temperature of the room seemed to drop twenty degrees and Duo craned his neck to hear what Sally and Une were whispering to each other.

"Excuse me," Duo croaked, as politely as he could muster. "What are you thinking? I mean... this is a weird experiment right? Maybe not everything carried over. Like that. Can't be so strange."

Sally shifted her shoulders to smile down at him, with somewhat of amused mischief. "Oh, we'll figure something out to your satisfaction, Duo. After all, we're _scientists_."

***

_Did you feel that?_

**Author's Note:**

> goofy artwork also by author :)


End file.
